Faithbook Cichawoda

How Do You Imagine God?God in America and USA WEEKEND Magazine are partnering to explore Americans' images of God.

How do you imagine God?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
I don't imagine God because with the same degree of certainty that I know that the sun will rise in the East tomorrow I know there is no God.
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My Beliefs

I believe ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
That only through reason and science can we discover the common truth about the objective, material world we share and only through self awareness, self examination and self knowledge can we derive meaning and purpose from what we find.
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My most powerful moment of belief was ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
When I discovered that all believers are to some extent Atheist by rejecting the Gods of other other religions and of all the past religions too.
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My greatest moment of doubt was ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
When I made a very earnest attempt to experience Eastern religious traditions.
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My spiritual life means...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
The pursuit of self awareness through meditation and the continual reexamination of meaning and purpose in my life.
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The biggest misconception about my faith/belief system is ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
That an Atheist's life is devoid of wonder, awe and spirituality.
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My spiritual role model is ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Tony Bourdain ;-)
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The tenet/practice/teaching I appreciate most about my faith is ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Atheism is a very practical choice that produces empirically testable positive results:
* In the U.S. states with the highest percentages of atheists, there are the fewest murders. In the most religious U.S. states, there are the most murders.
* Only 0.2 % percent of U.S. prisoners are atheists.
* Atheists are more tolerant towards women's and homosexuals' rights.
* Atheism and secularism correlate with high levels of education, and low levels of racial prejudice.
* Atheists beat their children less often than others, and more often encourage them to think independently.
* In Sweden, the most secular country in the world, the charitable aid given is the highest as a proportion of GDP.
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My Faith History

As a child I believed ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
That the star on top of our holiday tree magically delivered presents on Christmas Eve, that the lion that once escaped from the city zoo was lurking in the hallways of my apartment, that by the time I was an adult most people would clearly see the absurdity of religion, nationalism and war.
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My spiritual journey has been ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Marked by a very conscious, earnest but basically failed attempt to understand and experience a faith based world view.
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I was raised as ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
An Atheist by a lapsed Catholic mother and a lapsed Lutheran stepfather

Are your beliefs or practices different from your parents? If so, how and why?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
My parents, although professing Agnosticism, had a hard time shedding some of the faith based trappings that were so deeply planted in their psyche when they were children.

If you have children, did becoming a parent change your relationship to faith? If so, how?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
I have 3 children ranging in age from 32 to 15. All profess to be Atheists. I am now thoroughly convinced that all children are born Atheist and are imprinted with religion by parents and community. Because of this the growth of Atheism will be exponential as I see so many of my children's friends turn away from the faith they were raised in once they are exposed to science and the possibility of a non faith based life.

How I Practice My Faith

Where and when do you practice your faith?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
In everyday life with everything I do.
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Does your family practice more than one religion or faith? If so, how do you blend the traditions?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
We practice cultural traditions from 2 ethnic backgrounds that are inevitably infused with religious traditions.
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How easy or difficult is it to live your faith? Why?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Personally I have no fear of professing my Atheism but I have found that many American Atheists prefer to hid their true convictions by avoiding the issues of religion. My wife is one of them and my daughter experienced ostracism and derision for expressing her lack of faith when she was in primary school. Now that she is in high school she, with a bunch of her friends (many from religious families), is starting an Atheist club in her school.
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In my house, the thing that most represents my faith is ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
I have a menorah, a votive post, I make harvest rings and place them around my yard, I knock on wood, spit over my shoulder, kiss any bread that is going to be thrown out, I burn incense by a stone statue of an orangutan, we decorate a yule tree and there is a "lucky" turtle living in my back yard — the trappings of bygone beliefs that permeate human history and culture are there to underscore the long road that has gotten us to attempting to pursue a rational, Atheistic life.

The song/book/film that most represents my faith is ...your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Imagine by John Lennon
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Religion & the Public Square

What should be the role of religion in politics?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Religion can and will influence individual decisions but religious organizations should be kept out of politics.

Should courses about religion be taught in public schools? Why or why not?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Comparative religion should be required as part of history or social studies. Religion and religious organizations have played a pivotal part in the development of human society.

Should the Bible, Torah, Quran or other religious texts be taught as works of literature in public schools? Why or why not?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
As long as a very wide section is selected and includes more than just the Abrahamic religions that would be very helpful in understanding literary and cultural development and influences. I always encourage my children to get familiar with religious texts so they can better understand where people with a faith based world view are coming from.

Is interfaith dialogue important? Why or why not?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
All inter-human dialogue is important.

Do you feel comfortable discussing your faith with others? Why/why not?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Because Atheist are still such a minority and their outlook is often misinterpreted and misunderstood I feel compelled to make my world view known.

Do you feel that you have a duty, because of your faith, to put your beliefs into action? What are some of those actions?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
I try to demonstrate the value of self knowledge and self awareness and the importance of rational behavior based on empirical evidence on a daily basis.

Are religious beliefs compromised by engaging in politics?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
Not individual beliefs but religious organizations quickly lose themselves in the allure of political power.

Has 9/11 had any impact on your thoughts about religion? Are you more/less interested in learning about other religions? Do you feel more/less comfortable expressing your religious beliefs?your photo/ link/ video has been held for approval by a moderator
9/11 influenced my views on security, government, imperialism, theocracies, etc but since it was not a religious act it said nothing about faith except that the faithful are easily duped.
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